NO matter which way you dress it up, Newcastle United gave the impression that they found it just too easy at times against little Scunthorpe United.

And unlike the 2-1 loss at Glanford Park it wasn’t hard to work out which team was taking on Mansfield Town and Lincoln City seven years ago and which team was taking on Juventus and Barcelona.

The loss at Scunthorpe had caused deep hurt within the Toon camp last October, but order was more than restored here and Newcastle put the men in claret and blue firmly in their place.

Iron boss Nigel Adkins was a physio by trade at Glanford Park before being handed the job as top man, and there were more than a few broken hearts in the Scunny camp for him to deal with on what must have been a glum trip back to North Lincolnshire.

Scunny will talk about how they are punching above their weight, and it’s true that they have done an exceptional job in reaching the second tier of English football on a shoestring budget playing in front of a few thousand fans every other week.

The black and whites, however, can only beat what is in front of them, and if losing to the Iron in October was a bitter pill to swallow, much solace can be taken from another morale-boosting win for the Mags.

It was really men against boys, lambs to the slaughter if you like – and as one United fan headed for the boozer to toast another step to promotion, his assessment that Scunthorpe were “no better than a pub team” was understandable in the most one-sided game of the season at Gallowgate this term, if a little harsh on Adkins’ troops.

Newcastle could easily have clocked up eight or nine in front of an appreciative St James’ and how it wasn’t half a dozen before the break was only down to the linesman’s flag, some sympathetic refereeing, Iron keeper Joe Murphy and the woodwork.

Had ref Phil Crossley been dealing in boxing terms the contest would have been stopped as Scunthorpe somehow staggered in punch drunk but only 2-0 down at the break.

They say there is a gulf in class between the Championship and the Premier League, but this was a demonstration that there is a chasm of quality between the top and bottom of the second tier.

Newcastle dominated from the first minute to the last and never looked in any danger of giving the Iron even a sniff in front of goal.

Revved up by the thought of revenge before the game after Scunny had gone over the top with their celebrations at the end of the corresponding fixture, Newcastle came out flying and the only question they were asking themselves after this one, was how they only managed to win by a mere three?

They thought quicker, they passed it quicker and will only wonder why it wasn’t more. Much more.

The visitors were torn apart and left battered and bruised by a side that will almost certainly be rubbing shoulders, or rubbing bruises, with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal again next term.

Scunthorpe – haunted by relegation to League One – had looked forward to playing at St James’ Park ever since the Mags crashed out of the Premier League.

Sorry, make that BEFORE Newcastle had even been relegated on that fateful day last May, with Scunthorpe celebrating promotion via the play-offs just hours earlier.

By the end last night they looked like they couldn’t wait to get out of Tyneside to concentrate on their own relegation battle.

Newcastle’s players and fans have shown great dignity in the last 12 months and Scunthorpe certainly weren’t the only side to dance on their relegation grave.

And a lot has changed since October when the Iron beat Newcastle.

Chris Hughton is officially the gaffer these days and everybody knows where they stand.

This has resulted in the siege mentality turning into a new found togetherness that will hopefully give Newcastle a decent foundation to start life back in the Premier League and make a much better fist of it than last time.

Of course, investment – major investment, according to some – will be needed to add to this team, but that should not overshadow the efforts of the current crop of players who are giving their all to redeliver life in the Premier League to the Geordie public.

With a 12-point cushion and a game in hand on faltering Nottingham Forest, Newcastle just need to keep their heads.

We’re assured by Mr Hughton that they’ll do exactly that.

But you can’t take your eyes off the Forest fire at the City Ground.

The once tricky Trees can now only tot up 91 points from their remaining nine games and that’s if they can win every game.

The most Newcastle need to do is win five of their remaining 10 matches – meaning they could be promoted at Easter.

It’s pretty much as simple as that, and it will be even simpler if Forest fall away any more.